The Cinema Rif originally opened in 1938. It is in the Grand Socco, just outside the walls of the medina. It is a restored art deco building. The cinema shows mainstream and indie films from America, Morocco, France and Spain. The foreign films have subtitles usually in French and/or Arabic.
Owned and managed today as Cinematheque Tanger it was restored as an arts complex. It is a hub for young people, playwrights, photographers, artists, musicians, and filmmakers.
It contains two studios, two cinemas, and a bar that serves alcohol, tea, and coffee. Outside there are some tables for tea and coffee service. No alcohol is allowed outside.
Today Cinémathèque de Tanger holds more than 130 collected movies on both argentic and digitals, 37 archive donators, more than 1,200 referenced documents, a collection of 16mm, 8mm and Super 8 amateur films in its archive.
Every month they issue a newspaper with the film schedule and special events. Since we arrived, they have had an Alfred Hitchcock festival, Casblanca anniversary, films featuring Bette Davis and now a cycle with Meryl Streep.
Movies generally cost 2.50 and you can get a card stamped for a free movie after you have been 10 times.
Casablanca was free and free popcorn was available to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the film.
Although the films are older, we are enjoying seeing them, usually for the first time. The ones that we have seen were certainly not on a big screen and it is interesting to note the changes in formatting, development, special effects and film techniques. The excitement of the Grand Socco, the history of the art deco building, the comfort of the theater and excitement of the cinema makes this a nice and inexpensive night out.
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